Skincare routines that require several steps and high-tech gadgets have all featured in our journey to achieving a radiant complexion.
But the latest chapter in beauty innovation encourages us to take a step back. Embracing the age-old anecdote that beauty starts from within is nutricosmetics. Ushering in a holistic approach to the way we combat issues from acne to age management, these beauty supplements promise to heal the cause of the problem.
Beauty starts at the basics. For Amanda Chantal Bacon, founder of Los Angeles supplement brand Moon Juice, which is arriving in the region later this year, it begins with, “a healthy diet, eight-plus hours of sleep, walking and stress management. From there, adding supplements to your topical skincare routine.”
An effective indicator of when you are lacking in any one of these necessities is your skin. “Beauty is a reflection of how well you take care of your body and yourself,” says Dubai functional medical coach Sandra Sharpe. The signs of a poor diet, lack of sleep and stress are likely to show up as breakouts, dehydration and dullness, to name just a few.
In the demanding world that we live in, it is no wonder that supplements are selling. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, the nutritional supplement industry experienced 12.1 per cent growth in 2020, the highest in more than two decades. In line with these findings, according to Google Ads, searches for collagen increased by 33 per cent from March to December 2020, indicating a heightened interest in beauty supplements.
Although supplements can offer many benefits, it’s important to note that even though the industry is regulated, not all nutricosmetics have been tested and put through clinical trials to prove their efficiency. When opting for supplements, try to avoid any with artificial ingredients, binders, fillers and colours. Also check the sugar content, especially in gummies, as it can often be high. Brands should display their ingredient list, and it should be easy to read with a nutritional facts panel.
Those with food intolerances and dietary requirements need to take extra care. Collagen, as an example, is sourced from the connective tissue of animals. In particular, cowhide and fish scales. The ingestible alternatives for vegans feature ingredients such as vitamin C, silica and an abundance of amino acids. Although touted as vegan collagen, when ingested, it is not. These are collagen builders, meaning they help boost your body’s own collagen production. Research has proven this formulation is not as effective as its animal derived counterparts, even if some brands claim otherwise, proving how important careful research is.
Experimenting with supplements in comparison to topical treatments should not be taken lightly. “When we apply oils, creams or serums on the surface of the skin, hair and nails, the interaction between the product and our body is largely superficial,” explains Aya Serhal, a clinical dietitian at American Hospital Dubai.
“Ingestible beauty products have a core impact, as our gastrointestinal tract digests them, our bloodstream circulates them, then our organ systems metabolise, clear, redirect and assimilate them,” Serhal adds.
Supplements include ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes. Finding the right formulation for you is a personal journey that should be guided by a doctor, dermatologist or qualified dietitian.
“We are all unique and our bodies operate and react differently,” says Sharpe. It’s also important to note that if you don’t have a deficiency, any extra supplementation won’t offer any additional health benefits.
It’s vital that you listen to your body’s needs. For those who can, professionally monitoring the levels of nutrients in your system reaps the best rewards.
Bioniq, a supplement brand from London, which made its UAE debut at the end of last year, aims to offer this service. Part of the monthly fee includes a nurse visiting your home or office on a bi-monthly basis to take a blood sample. The company can then offer a bespoke and up-to-date micronutrient formula and nutrition plan. Positioning itself as a preventative approach to health, it also learns through consistent smart data collection what parameters need to be tested for you to progress on your health journey. With your body functioning at its optimal level, glowing skin, healthy hair and strong nails are just added benefits.
How you should be ingesting these nutrients is dependent on the ingredient. “We make them in the most potent form that’s optimal for the bioactive ingredients specifically formulated for these supplements. So, some of our nutricosmetics supplements come in capsule form and some come in powder form,” explains Jeremy Muijs, co-founder of Australian clean beauty brand Grown Alchemist.
Another positive impact of ingesting supplements is that: “As your body absorbs the nutrients within the formulas, it will also deliver benefits to other parts,” says Jules Miller, founder of London supplement brand The Nue Co.
With so many formulations on the market, there is one area that brands are focusing on. “Inflammation is the root cause of much of the body’s and skin’s dysfunction and disease,” says German aesthetics doctor and the founder of eponymous label Dr Barbara Sturm. Breakouts to hyper-sensitivity can all be a reflection of what is going on within your gut microbiome.
“The skin is often referred to as ‘the mirror’ of our gut,” agrees Miller.
If you need to start somewhere, begin with what you are eating. “Diet is essential to controlling inflammation and promoting skin and overall health,” says Sturm. From there, look at adding in a supplement.
“I have always been an advocate of a well-balanced and nutrient-rich diet to help nourish from within. We have drawn a lot from natural food sources as part of the formulation of our products and I always recommend diet as a great place to start when you want to improve your well-being,” says Miller.
You must be patient when taking nutricosmetics. “Like with your skincare or with your diet, to see long-lasting results, it is important to stay consistent with your supplements,” says Sturm.
In order to ensure you stay on top of your routine, Bacon advises: “Know yourself and your habits and place your supplements next to things you do every day, like next to your toothbrush, coffee maker or phone charger.”
Just like skincare, supplements take time to prove how effective they are. If you’re looking for those skin-enhancing benefits, stick with your chosen formula, make sure you get your eight hours sleep, eat well and try not to stress. The benefits will go well beyond healthy, glowing skin.
The five pillars of Islam
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
DUBAI SEVENS 2018 DRAW
Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2
Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC
Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins
